Toujours Pur
by RachelJMLivingston
Summary: Eleanor Fraser (OC) is struggling to find her purpose in life. Then she becomes inexplicably entangled with the Black family, in a wizarding world she didn't even know existed. Orion, Cygnus, Sirius and Regulus are back from the dead for a reason. Will a new Prophecy devastate the Wizarding World like before? Will a new threat defeat them? What will they risk to get the job done?
1. Chapter 1 - Silencio

**Author's Note**

**Here is Chapter 1! I hope you all enjoy it, please review and follow if you would like to read more. It might be a while before I get into a regular posting schedule, I still have some planning and prep to do for the rest of the story, but I have big plans for this!**

**Full disclosure: This story is heavily inspired by a fic on here called "Arx Domus Nigrae" by an author called MaryRoyale. I have messaged her and asked her permission to write this story! So if you've found this and read hers somehow and joined the two together or if you read this then go and read hers (which I highly recommend!) then any similarities, however unconscious or deliberate, I got a lot of inspiration from her amazing story. She was also inspired by an idea messaged to her from another author on here called Mistra Rose, who I've also messaged to ask for permission to use part of her initial idea. She has asked me to send her the link to this story once I start posting it, so I really hope I do this justice! These two ladies have been so amazing to not mind me borrowing some ideas. Hopefully I turn it into something they'd both love :)**

**Anyway, here we go! Happy reading :)**

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Chapter 1 - Silencio

Eleanor twisted the lock, turned around, and sank back against her bedroom door. She sighed heavily, feeling the stress of her day weighing on her. She closed her eyes and tried as hard as she could to tune out the shouting from downstairs. Her parents, again, as usual.

She pushed off from the door, setting her bag down on her bed, shrugging off her coat to hang it on the hook in the corner. Eleanor moved across her room to what her sister berated her in calling her shrine, and slid open the top drawer. She took a few deep breaths to centre herself and laid a hand on top of the contents of the drawer. She brushed her fingers across the waxen surface of the candles and moved her touch back and forth, mulling over which candle to choose.

After a few moments she lifted three from the drawer and set them on the top of cabinet. After closing the drawer, Eleanor moved towards her bed. Sitting down, she unlaced her shoes, set them aside, then took her socks off, gently rubbing the indents pressed into her swollen left foot. Then she undressed, the first thing she always did, because she hated not being comfortable. She folded her clothes and underwear and placed them on the stool at the foot of her bed, before extricating the burgundy lace robe from her wardrobe. She pulled it on, enjoying the feeling of the soft material against her bare skin. She tied the robe firmly in place before opening her bedroom window and then returned to her altar.

Eleanor slipped in the ear plugs sitting at the front (it was the only way she could focus when they were fighting downstairs) and then in turn touched each item on her altar shelf set at the back of the cabinet. The feather on the right, for air. The small purple candle on the bottom, for fire. On the left, a small sealed bottle of moon charged water. And on the top of the triangular shelf lay a small dish, filled with a scoop of earth she collected the last time she went to the forest near her home.

Then she lay her hand on the pink rose quartz crystal sitting in front of the shelf and closed her eyes. She centred and grounded herself for a few moments, feeling the energy stir within her. When she felt calm finally, the first time all day, she opened her eyes and lifted the three candles. She set them into three holders and arranged them in order. White first, for the Maiden, then Red for the Mother, and finally Black for the Crone.

She struck a match and lit the bundle of sage that sat close to her right hand, and gently blew on it, to encourage the smoke. She wafted the bundle a few times, then moved it in the form of a cross, before setting it in its dish, still smoking, to the right.

Next, she lit each candle, with soft murmurs, greeting the Goddess. Whilst they began to burn, she opened the second drawer of the cabinet and took out her case of oils.

She dropped some acacia onto the purple candle in her altar, then lit it. Eleanor rubbed some anise into her temples, and a touch of lemongrass to her forehead. Then she dropped some cypress into the dish of earth, and finally dropped some wisteria oil in the dispenser to her left, flicking the switch on the wall and allowing the mist to begin percolating into her room.

Eleanor waited until she felt it was time, then lay her hands on her altar cloth, palms up and closed her eyes.

"I pray to the Goddess this night, and I ask for your protection.

I long for your guidance and for your help.

I must beg of you that you show me my path.

I, your daughter, feel lost and alone.

I pray you humble me with your aid.

Light me the way and lead me from the darkness.

I swear on my life and magic,

So mote it be."

As she closed her prayer, Eleanor felt a wave of calm wash over her. The breeze from the open window flickered the candles, and she breathed in the floral scent of the wisteria oil and felt the familiar ache come over her eyes. It almost felt like the lemongrass on her forehead burned into her skin but she knew that was just her imagination.

Only when she felt the ache begin to ebb away did she ground herself once more, blow out the candles, the three on the holders and the small one on her altar shelves. She lifted the bundle of sage and turned it upside down, pressing it gently into the sand at the bottom of the dish until it stopped smoking. She left it upended, then plucked the ear buds from her ears.

Eleanor moved towards the door and listened for a second before turning the lock and creeping along the landing towards the bathroom. The shouting had stopped; she could hear the television downstairs blaring out her father's favourite show. She passed her parent's room and saw the light under the door. Her mother must have retreated, as she always did. She wouldn't come out again tonight.

Eleanor used the bathroom and washed the oils from her face before cleansing and moisturising. She brushed her teeth, then her hair, then tiptoed back down the hall.

She nearly made it back to her room when she heard her name being called.

"Eleanor? Is that you?" Her mother asked from behind the closed door.

"Yeah Mum, it's me."

"Can you come in here?"

Eleanor sighed before retying her robe more tightly around her. She entered the room quickly; her mother never liked to be kept waiting.

What she saw when she entered had Eleanor frozen on the threshold.

Her mother was sitting at her dressing table, dabbing a tissue to her nose. It was coming away bloody, and Eleanor could see the ring of a dark bruise forming around her eye.

"Where were you tonight?" Caroline's words were harsh, and they kept Eleanor from rushing across the carpet to help her.

Instead she rooted her feet to the ground and kept a grip on the door handle, anchoring her in place.

"I was in town as normal."

Caroline caught her gaze in the reflection of the mirror.

"You've still not found a job?"

"No, Mum."

Caroline held her gaze, her damaged face twisting into a sneer.

"I don't know why your father lets you stay with us."

Eleanor ducked her chin, turning her gaze to the carpet instead.

"I don't know either, Mum." She replied quietly, shame burning in the pit of her stomach.

"Get out of my sight." Caroline snapped, and Eleanor jumped as she slammed a hand down on the counter in front of her. The perfume bottles rattled together, and Eleanor didn't need to be told twice.

She shut her parent's bedroom door and returned to her room, tears pricking the corners of her eyes.

She caught sight of her altar as she shut the door behind her, twisting the lock again, and felt the wave of calm she'd felt earlier when she'd been praying.

Eleanor flicked off the light and moved across the room in the almost darkness, and picked up the rose quartz, feeling the coolness seep into her skin. She took a deep breath, her eyes focussing on the faded banner above the altar; displaying the sign of the Goddess.

She could do this, there was a reason for all of this, Eleanor was sure of it.

Taking the crystal with her, she got into bed, setting the crystal on the bedside table. She pushed the bedcovers aside and lifted the turquoise therapy ball from her table. Methodically, Eleanor rolled it in circles up and down her left calf muscle, as used to it as she was, she didn't even wince at the sharp jabs of pain that shot through her leg every now and again as she teased out the tight muscles. She didn't even need to turn a light on to use the ball, she'd done it so many times by now she could probably do it in her sleep. She worked her way from her knee down to her ankle, pressing the ball as close into the crook of her ankle as she could, then made her way back up to her knee. The tell-tale sharp burn she felt when the ball passed over the left-hand side of her knee dissipated as she continued to massage the ball over it, and once it was gone, that told her she was done.

She set the ball back on the side and picked up the bottle of nutmeg oil she always kept there. Unscrewing the lid, she dabbed the bottle twice against the ring on her left hand, the small black sphere on it soaking up the nutmeg. Then she screwed the lid back on, returning the bottle to its place. Then she shook two ibuprofen tablets from the bottle and swallowed them one by one. She no longer needed water to take them, another thing she was so used to.

Eleanor pulled out her night dress from under her pillow and hurriedly exchanged her robe for it. She hung the robe from her bed post and shimmied under the covers. She turned onto her right-hand side and dragged the mound of pillows into place in between her legs. Once she was as comfortable as she was going to get, she placed her hand on her pillow, as close to her face as she could get it.

Breathing in the oaky scent of nutmeg, she drifted off to sleep, the dull ache forming behind her eyes once again as she slipped under.

_x - x - x_

_The grass was damp with early morning dew under her bare feet. The sun dappled through the green leafed trees above her head; the woods surrounding her was alive with birds chirping, rustles in the brush, squirrels climbing tree trunks. Eleanor looked down and saw she was dressed in white, and the skirt of her dress reached down to mid-calf._

_It wafted in the breeze and she continued to walk through the trees. Up ahead she could see mist forming amongst the tree trunks, but on she kept walking. She felt a pull towards whatever lay through the mist, deep in her gut._

_The mist surrounding her, she finally stepped into a wide, open glade. In the clearing, spaced out as if measured to perfection, lay a stone circle. Each stone pillar was made of stacked slate tiles, teetering up to just above waist high. The circle swept round the glade, each pillar getting slightly taller as it went. Ahead of her, in the centre of the circle, lay a large stone table. Circular, it filled the space, the edges covered in carved runes, the surface smooth. On the other side of the table, claiming the most northern point, was a towering archway. The stone was cracked and crumbling; in fact, Eleanor was surprised it was still standing. As she reached the table, she looked across it to the archway and noticed the centre of it looked as if there was a curtain. Except not made of material, this curtain was opaque, almost gossamer like, and it fluttered gently as if caused by the wind, although Eleanor could no longer feel the breeze on her skin._

_A movement off to her left drew her attention._

_Three women were walking out from the trees. One was young, barely older than she was. She was dressed in white, like Eleanor, and smiled shyly at her. The second woman was older, perhaps middle aged. She was dressed in red and had the warmest smile on her face as Eleanor met her gaze. And the third woman, dressed in black, she was smiling too, her face lined with age, but all three women gave off a welcoming air and Eleanor felt comfortable in their presence._

_All at once, Eleanor realised who they were, just as they reached the table._

"_Goddess." She gasped, one hand clutching her chest in shock, the other reaching out to steady herself on the stone table._

"_I expect you're wondering why we've brought you here." The Mother spoke, Her voice strong and clear._

_Eleanor nodded, unable to speak, her mouth suddenly dry. The Goddess was here, right in front of her. Within arm's reach now as they came to stand at the table as well._

"_You asked for our help Eleanor, our guidance." The Maiden told her, beaming as She spoke._

"_It was time we told you your purpose, child." The Crone said firmly, Her aged eyes twinkling as She told Eleanor the words she'd been longing to hear for so long now._

"_We value your practise, and we wish to point you in the right direction." The Mother spoke again, as She tucked Her auburn hair behind one ear._

"_You're made for more than this." The Maiden told her solemnly._

"_Much more." The Crone chimed in, nodding wisely._

"_What do you mean?" Eleanor gathered the courage to speak finally, one hand still clutching the table in front of her._

"_We can't tell you everything, only show you what is next." The Mother explained, pointing Eleanor to look at the archway._

_As Eleanor watched, the veil-like curtain grew less opaque, and began fluttering more, as if the breeze was picking up._

_Then, before she had a chance to ask the Goddess any more questions, a man appeared._

_Coming through the archway, the man looked stunned for a second before taking in the sight before him. He saw Eleanor, and then turned to see the Goddess standing beside her, and his confusion dissipated._

_Without speaking, he walked to stand directly across from the Goddess, to Eleanor's right hand side. She chanced a look at him, and took in his jet black hair dappled with a smattering of salt and pepper grey, cropped close , but with the hint of a curl. His high cheek bones, and sharp jawline pronounced him as one of the most handsome men Eleanor had ever seen._

_Then, she saw his face show a look of surprise, and she shook herself, returning to look at the archway._

_The next man to step through, stepped through grinning, his eyes crinkling at the outer corners. His hair was a lighter colour, a dark brown with some streaks of honey blonde, and he caught sight of the man to her right. He immediately hastened to stand beside him, his arms swinging good naturedly at his sides. He nodded at Eleanor, and then they both turned back to the archway._

_The next man through, well, he rivalled the first two men as to how handsome he was. He was younger than them, closer to Eleanor's age, with a sharp nose, pronounced cheek bones and an aristocratic chin. His black hair fell in waves to nape of his neck, and his gate was graceful, and his gaze looked peaceful as he saw the first two men, and walked to stand next to them, glancing curiously at Eleanor as he went._

_And the last man through the Veil, Eleanor felt herself blushing as she drank up his appearance. He had a rounder face, still with the same cheekbones as the first three men, and a thick mop of ebony hair that fell to his shoulders. It was then Eleanor realised they might all be related._

_Then she noticed, with a jolt, that the last man was staring at her, his dark eyes glinting as he smiled at her._

_She smiled back, and cleared her throat, shifting from one foot to the other, as a final figure came through the archway._

_The woman matched the age of Eleanor and the Maiden. Her hair was blonde, and she was dressed in blue. She walked until she reached the table, standing directly ahead of Eleanor._

_The new woman turned to the Goddess. The four women clearly knew each other as they silently greeted one other._

"_My name is Niamh." The woman told the rest of the group, folding her hands in front of her._

"_I bring these men through the Veil, where they may stay for the rest of their natural lives."_

_The men started, exchanging looks with each other before glancing between the Goddess and Eleanor._

"_We get to stay?" The third man, the youngest, asked, his voice soft and gentle._

_Niamh nodded._

"_I leave you with the Goddess now. Be safe, my children, and return to me when your time is up."_

_With those words, Niamh span on one foot, and walked back towards the Veil, walking through it and vanishing from sight._

"_The Goddess?" The fourth man choked out, looking stunned._

"_Yes, child, I am the Goddess." The Crone spoke, folding Her hands in front of Her, gazing imperiously across the table at him._

_Eleanor shifted her weight from one foot to other. Her movement caught the attention of the man closest to her, and he turned, looking at her for the second time._

"_Might I ask, Goddess, who is this girl?" He queried, his voice a heavy timbre that sent shivers down Eleanor's spine._

"_I pray you have patience, Orion," The Mother chided him, "There are many things we need to impart upon you first."_

_The man, Orion, tore his gaze from Eleanor, and focussed once again on the Goddess. He nodded his head once to acknowledge her words, and Eleanor watched as he clasped his hands behind his back, seemingly impatient._

"_There is need, in your worlds, for a union," The Maiden began, "As you four know, your world has seen hardship in recent years, hardship's that have rocked your community to it's very core."_

_All four men looked grave at Her words; Eleanor was simply more confused than ever. This was a dream, to be sure, but until now, Eleanor failed to see her part in all this._

"_And you, Eleanor," The Maiden turned to her to speak, "Your world as well, there are a great many troubles, troubles which are only mounting in size."_

_Eleanor swallowed; her mouth suddenly dry as she felt the weight of the Goddess' gaze upon her. She settled for a nod in response, twisting her hands into her skirts, out of sight beneath the lip of the table._

"_We know your own trials," The Mother spoke to Eleanor next, a soft expression passing across Her face, "And we grieve with you."_

_Eleanor felt a wave of dizziness come over her, her head swirling as she felt the emotions coming off the Goddess in waves. Eleanor felt tears pricking the corners of her eyes, feeling understood for the first time in a long time._

"_We wish to reward your devotion," The Crone continued, "While helping your world as well."_

_The Crone turned to the men next._

"_We've been unable to help your world, unstable as it was. Old magic was called upon, ancient and terrible. It was twisted beyond recognition, and we could not intervene. It was, however, brought to an end, as Prophesized, by the Potter boy. Now your world knows peace."_

"_We cannot interfere with Prophesies," The Mother told the group, "As those stem from the very essence of your realm. It is magic foretold, which comes from the purest of places."_

"_But we can help them come to pass," The Maiden smiled as She spoke, lifting Her chin proudly._

"_Your bloodline sacrificed much to help the Potter boy." The Crone explained._

_Eleanor saw understanding flare across the faces of the four men._

"_But as it is with all things, nature demands a balance." The Mother continued._

"_There is another Prophecy," The Maiden told them, and at her words, Eleanor saw the fourth man's face pale considerably._

"_An ancient one, foretold at the beginning of both of your worlds." The Crone cut in, Her gaze falling on each of the five stood before Her._

"_Told by Gaea Herself." Said the Mother proudly._

"_She wished to create a way to help both worlds when they needed it most." The Maiden said._

"_She wanted a way to unite them both in harmony." Said the Mother._

"_And a way to ensure she could help, long after her creation was complete." The Crone finished._

"_What is this Prophecy?" The second man spoke up for the first time, and Eleanor felt he sounded sceptical at best._

_At his words, the Goddess moved closer together, joining hands._

"_When an Ancient and Noble House lies in tatters…and a division has cleaved two worlds in two, there will rise a Veiled witch…at the hand of the Goddess, she will restore this House…with four redeemed Sons by her side, she will help to heal the rift between the worlds…those five will lead the just and true to guard against a rising evil…this evil if left untested could devastate both worlds completely…the Veiled witch will only rise if the chosen Sons beg clemency…only then can the Veil be crossed and Fate can be met…"_

_The Goddess fell silent, and Her words were met with stunned expressions from the men, and Eleanor, well, Eleanor was simply more confused than she had ever been._

_Her mind was swirling, and she could feel a deep ache forming behind her forehead. She thought this dream was a message, a way to show her her path, an answer to her prayer before she slept. But this? None of this made sense. She was used to having to hunt for the true answer or meaning of a dream or a sign. But absolutely none of this made sense to her._

_She started by clearing her throat._

"_Erm, Goddess?" Eleanor asked, feeling a blush rise to her cheeks as all four men turned to look at her._

"_Yes, child?" The Crone permitted._

"_I'm sorry, I don't understand. You said you were showing me my path? I can't see what part I play in all this. None of this makes any sense to me." She admitted, her hands twisting together in front of her. She couldn't bring herself to meet the Goddess' gaze; she didn't want to see the inevitable look of disappointment from Her._

_Eleanor kept her eyes on the stone table instead. She could have jumped about a foot in the air though, when she felt a hand on her arm._

_She lifted her chin and looked straight into the rich, brown eyes of the Mother. Eleanor could feel the raw waves of power rolling off of Her, but she felt no fear. Only comfort._

"_When have I ever steered you wrong, Eleanor?" The Mother asked her, a serious expression decorating Her face._

_Eleanor could do nothing more than stare at her. A few moments passed, and Eleanor took this time, in Her presence, to ground herself. The Mother, realising what she was doing, reached down to lift both of Eleanor's hands, clasping them within Her own, giving her time._

"_You've never steered me wrong, Mother." Eleanor said, finally finding the words._

_The Mother smiled at her, reaching up and touching Eleanor's chin softly, before releasing her, turning away to return to the Maiden and the Crone._

"_I promise, all will become clear very soon." The Maiden spoke softly, smiling as Eleanor looked at Her, already feeling the loss at the absence of the Mother's touch._

"_You must trust in us, child, only then will you meet your true path." The Crone imparted, knotting Her aged hands together in front of Her._

_And as the Mother walked away from her, with every step she took, Eleanor felt the dream begin to slip away._

_She looked once more at the four men, they were standing, looking curiously at her. She tried to smile at them, but then, all at once, the dream faded to nothing, colours dimming to black, sounds trickling away. She was waking up…_

_x - x - x_

The sunlight warmed Eleanor's face as she stepped outside of her front door. She paused on the front step, tilting her head back and closing her eyes. She soaked in the light, hoping it would wake her up more.

After a few moments she shook herself, locked the front door, and turned to walk down the garden path. Eleanor rolled her shoulders as she began to make her way down the street to the bus stop, trying to shift the deep ache in her muscles.

She spent the twenty-minute bus ride into town trying her hardest not to drop off to sleep, her eyes feeling heavier each time she blinked.

Leaving the bus, she dove straight across the pavement, making a beeline for the coffee shop that sat right there.

Five minutes later she came out onto the street again, clutching a hot cup of coffee in her hand. She decided that because of the nice weather she'd go and sit on a bench along the Promenade, to soak up the sun while she drank her coffee.

She knew she'd feel more awake after that, ever more ready to start the drudgery of the job hunt once again.

Eleanor walked slowly, moving to dodge past people every now and again, shifting the straps of her backpack across her shoulders to stop them from digging in.

Just as she was about to turn right to enter the Promenade however, her eye caught sight of the alleyway to her left.

She had no idea why; she'd never gone down it before. Something was calling to her though, something was telling her to go down it. Eleanor stopped at the head of it, peering down.

It was deserted, the buildings towering each side of it, making the alleyway look darker than the rest of the town.

It wasn't very wide, barely a couple of metres apart. Eleanor could see it contained rubbish bins, dotted unceremoniously up the sides of the alley, and there were a couple of side doors placed sporadically up the sides of the buildings.

She edged closer, casting a glance over her shoulder, trying to shift the feeling that she was being watched. The people continued to bustle around town, not paying her any attention. Eleanor scanned the opposite pavement; there wasn't anybody looking at her that she could see.

Looking back into the alley, there was nothing there that looked in any way interesting to Eleanor. But still that feeling persisted; she needed to go down it.

Steeling herself for the Goddess knows what, Eleanor stepped from the busy shopping street, and into the alley. She edged between the bins, sidestepping murky puddles of water left over from the last time it rained.

Pulling her elbows tight towards her body, she managed to move into the alley's depths without brushing against either a bin or the alley walls. The doors to the buildings were filthy and looked like they hadn't been used in months.

The further Eleanor walked, the more she felt the pull to go even farther.

She felt the stirring in her gut; she wasn't supposed to be here. Eleanor grew clammy all over, her grip tightening on her coffee cup, a deep shiver overcame her as she reached the end of the alley.

It felt wrong, _she_ felt wrong. Like she wasn't supposed to be here. What made her walk down here?

Suddenly her shoulders hunched, as she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, and Eleanor felt somebody move close behind her.

"Silencio." She heard a deep voice utter the unfamiliar word from behind her, and Eleanor felt a wash of cold come over her, and she made to turn around.

Hands grabbed her upper arms, causing her to lurch in fright, dropping her coffee cup, which fell to the floor, the scalding hot liquid exploding over her shoes. A scream built in her throat but she found no sound escape her lips.

Panic swelled in her chest and she felt the point of something blunt press into her back between her shoulders.

Her vision went black, and her ears felt muffled. The sound of the bustling town fell silent around her, and Eleanor broke out into a cold sweat. She couldn't hear, she couldn't see, all she could feel was the hot liquid soaking into her socks and shoes, and the hands that kept a firm grip on her arms.

She felt a tug as the unknown person pulled her around, to face back out of the alley. But they didn't make her walk.

The next thing she could feel was her hand being grabbed and being pressed against something hard and shiny to the touch. The hands left her arms, and one grabbed her wrist, keeping her touch against this object, and then Eleanor felt somebody else move behind her, pressing against her, and securing their grip on her waist, presumably to steady her.

Her heart hammering in her chest, and her breathing rapid, Eleanor felt something tap against the object she was touching, and the person behind her reach around to touch it too, and then the strangest sensation she'd ever felt before in her life.

A rush of energy passed over her, and what felt like a hook behind her navel, and Eleanor felt her feet leave the ground and felt as if she moving somewhere, the body of the person behind her pressed close, and the hold on her wrist becoming even tighter. If she could speak Eleanor was sure she would be screaming.

_Goddess protect me _was the only thing that managed to cross her mind before her feet slammed back down to the ground.

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**If you've enjoyed this chapter please leave a review! I welcome all constructive criticism, I love to hear what anybody thinks of it!**

**See you next time!**

**Love, Rachel.**


	2. Chapter 2 - The Veiled Witch

**Author Note**

**And here is chapter 2 finally! I****'ve had a busy few months, a lot of changes in my life, and to know that this has been written, along with the next 8 chapters, since November, has been killing me! I hope this lives up to the wait, if there is anyone that's reading this that followed the story back in October. **

**I hope you all enjoy it! And please as always, leave a wee review after and let me know what you think of it, and what you hope to happen next! You never know, I could still make changes before I post anything ;) **

**Happy reading! :)**

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Chapter 2 – The Veiled Witch

Whilst the floor of the alley had been uneven concrete, the floor Eleanor's feet made contact with next felt smooth and less dense.

Pain shot up her left leg as her weight came down on it, and she felt her stomach turn upside down.

She felt herself retch, and the person in front of her wrenched the object from her grip and moved away, just in time as Eleanor folded over herself and vomited onto the ground.

Her head span with dizziness, and she barely felt the person that had been behind her move to her side to help keep her upright, and to move her braid where it had swung to the side of her face.

When she felt like her stomach had heaved itself empty and her throat burned from coughing up bile, hands pulled her upright again, and she felt a cloth pass over her mouth.

Next a cup of what she assumed was water was pushed into her hands, and she clumsily lifted it to her lips. She took a few sips, enough to get rid of the nasty sour taste in her mouth, and enough to fill her stomach just a little, then it was taken from her.

Someone had taken her elbow and she felt herself being led somewhere.

When she'd been in the alley, she could still feel the breeze of the spring morning against her skin, but she could just tell she was inside now.

Eleanor felt the corners of her eyes pricking, and her breathing quicken in her chest as she was led further and further. She felt people moving around her, presumably walking past, countless people which didn't make her feel any better, because it meant she was in a place full of people that didn't care if they someone being led past them unable to see or unable to hear what was going on.

After what she guessed might have been ten minutes, including a trip in what she assumed was a lift, she felt her feet cross over a threshold. Her bag was taken off her shoulders, then she was being shoved into a chair, and so quickly that she wasn't expecting it, her hearing and sight came back to her.

Her ears felt as if she'd just taken off in a plane, or dove into deep water, and the light in the room was so bright that it blinded her for a moment. Tears spilled down her cheeks in a mixture of relief at getting her senses back and by the assault from the bright barely flickering light above her head.

The panic that had abated slightly swelled up again as she heard footsteps to her left, and she turned her head just in time to see the door close, and then she heard the lock turn.

Eleanor tried to breath evenly, but she struggled as she stared frantically about the room. She was sat on a metal chair, the back bars of which were cold against the bare skin of her back that was exposed from her top riding up and her jeans slipping down slightly.

She jumped as she looked straight ahead and caught sight of her reflection in a large mirror that filled the opposite wall. Eleanor could see she looked stark pale, clammy, and her eyes were wide, tears tracking down her cheeks. Strands of her dark hair had come loose from the French braid she'd plaited this morning, her stomach lurching at the thought she'd only been at home an hour ago.

And now, where was she? In front of her was a table which her hands were resting on. The mirror across the opposite wall, the locked door, and then the pale grey tiled walls surrounding her, Eleanor could only guess it was an interrogation room like she'd seen so many times on crime shows on the tv.

What had she done? Why had the police brought her here? And what the hell was going on with her losing her sight and hearing? And whatever that lurching sensation had been suddenly moving her indoors and making her suffer the worst travel sickness she'd ever had in her life?

At the peak of her panic, she suddenly felt a wave of calm wash over her, so alien a feeling she had no idea where it had came from. The closest feeling she could compare it to had been how she'd felt in her dream. Perhaps the Goddess was watching over her right now? She felt calm for a few moments, and she took a breath. But almost as quickly as the calm had come, it disappeared in a flash a moment later.

The lock suddenly clicked open and the swinging door revealed a towering man with mocha dark skin, a bald head, piercing amber eyes, and most curiously was wearing rich purple coloured robes, decorated with a gold pattern along the edges.

He swept into the room, and was followed by another man, who was a little bit shorter but still would tower over the likes of Eleanor. His eyes were dark and almost matched his hair, which looked as if it were straight, but it was pulled back in a bun at the crown of his skull so Eleanor couldn't quite tell. As she took in the shaved sides of his head, and his black robes, she felt resolve replace the panic in the pit of her stomach.

"Am I in trouble?" She asked, her voice sounding quiet despite the slight echo that carried around the sparse room.

"No, you're not." The first man told her. She thought she saw a flicker of kindness in his eyes, but she couldn't be sure. She was even more uncertain when she looked back at his companion and saw nothing but defensive anger swimming in his gaze.

"Where am I?" She tried to demand, but her voice sounded so pitiful to her that Eleanor immediately followed it with two more questions, forcing her voice out louder and clearer than before; "What am I doing here? And why did you bring me here?"

The two men exchanged a glance that was unreadable to Eleanor, the second man taking a folder from under his arm and placing it onto the table top. He quickly pulled a few sheaves of paper from it, which Eleanor soon realised were photographs, as he laid them out one by one in front of her.

Staring up at her, in the same order she'd seen them come through the Veil, were the four men from her dream last night.

"What the hell is going on?" She spluttered, looking from one man to the other.

"You could tell us the same thing." The second man quipped at her, folding his arms across his chest.

"No." Eleanor refused, confusion swirling through her mind as she glanced back down at the photos.

The men were the same as she'd seen them last night. How did they know what she'd dreamed? Her skin began to crawl the longer she thought about it, the more bizarre theories swam in her mind.

Revulsion overcame her and she sprang to her feet, shoving the chair back away from her.

"How do you have these photographs? Where did you get them from?" She demanded, her hands twisting together in front of her.

More tears began to well in her eyes, and she felt her hands begin to tremble.

"So you know who these men are?" The second man leaned forwards placing his hands flat on the table.

"No, I don't!" She cried out, her tears beginning to overflow again.

A look of disbelief shot across the man's features, and he spoke again.

"Now we both know that's not true." A cruel smile tugged at his lips.

"Please just let me go. I'm sure this has to be some kind of big misunderstanding. I don't know these men." Eleanor begged, backing up against the wall behind her, almost falling over the chair she'd shoved back.

"We can't do that, miss." The first man told her, his voice calm and potentially would have been soothing if Eleanor's chest hadn't already began to grow tighter with every breath that she took.

"Please let me go, I just want to go." Eleanor sobbed, clutching her stomach with one hand and her chest with another.

"Now, miss-"The black man moved as if he was going to take hold of her shoulder and she darted away, around her chair and closer to the door.

"Don't touch me."

The man held his hands up, a worried expression on his face.

Eleanor shot a look at the second man as if daring him to try to touch her too and she wondered for a moment why they weren't moving to stop her since clearly what they really wanted was to keep her here no matter what.

Then her hand settled on the door know and she twisted it to find they'd locked it again. She tugged half heartedly before turning to face them, her grip never leaving the handle.

"Let me out." Eleanor demanded primly, lifting her chin stubbornly, as if none of them could see the tears still soaking down her chin and into the neckline of her top.

"Hey, come and sit back down, we can explain." The first man said to her, gesturing to the chair.

"No, let me out." She turned back to the door and yanked as hard as she could. Still, nothing.

"Come on, miss, just sit back down." The second man tried to order her, and Eleanor felt him start to move towards her.

She redoubled her efforts on the door handle, as she felt as if a band was tightening around her chest.

"Unlock the door!" Eleanor cried, pulling as hard as she could on the handle.

Suddenly, she felt the handle resist the tension, and she stumbled back slightly as she pulled the door open.

Eleanor threw a look over her shoulder at the men, who were both standing staring at her, looking as flabbergasted as she felt at the fact she'd managed to open the door, before realising this was her only shot.

She shot out into the corridor, turning left and bolted away from the door as fast as she could, fear propelling each step that lead her away from those men.

Eleanor nearly stopped in her tracks upon seeing her surroundings as she went; the deep red carpet and shiny, onyx walls, people walking to and fro, all of them dressed in robes of a multitude of colours like the two men from the room. Above her head, as she flew past several doors, tiny objects swooped past, and upon squinting her eyes, she realised they were like tiny paper airplanes almost, just a slightly different shape, and they were hovering, flying along the length of the corridor.

She winced as she heard a crash from behind her, and several voices shouting out for her to wait.

Eleanor shied away from people who began to stare at her at she passed them, trying hard to ignore the deep burn she felt in her left leg, and tried to hide her limp, endeavouring to speed up as she kept on charging down the seemingly never-ending corridor, each inch of looking the same as the last.

Eleanor gasped in shock as a hand grabbed her upper arm. The force of it pulling her to a stop nearly catapulted her forwards except another hand gripped her other arm and managed to steady her.

A surge of determination came over her, and she threw all of her weight forwards, trying to slip out of their grasp. But they were too strong for her, and she was panting as the person span her around to face them.

Eleanor looked up, fear burning in her chest, expecting to find one of the men that had trapped her in that room.

Except she found herself chest to chest with the tall, broad shouldered man, with the dark black hair, dappled in salt and pepper, that she'd seen in her dream.

Orion.

_ x - x - x_

_The four sons of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black watched as the girl they__'d grown to know as Eleanor, vanished from view. They exchanged glances with each other before turning back to meet the steady gaze of the Goddess._

"_Your return to your world will bring chaos, that is certain. Old ways will arise once again, and that will make you all a target." The Crone warned the four of them._

_The Mother stepped towards them, fixing each of them with a stern look in her eyes. _

"_You must find Eleanor as soon as you wake. Find her and things will start to become clear.. Fate will lead you to her." _

"_You all know you will face opposition, as Prophecies barely hold a strong footing in reality for most of your world." The Maiden spoke softly from her place at the Mother's elbow._

"_It is time now to return in the order in which you came here." The Crone instructed, lifting her arm to gesture towards the Veil._

_The four men looked at each other bewildered before the man stood furthest from the Veil squared his shoulders, and walked past his brother-in-law and two sons._

_The Goddess moved closer to the Veil, where he joined her, stopping short of walking through it._

"_Orion Arcturus Black," The Crone began, clasping her hands in front of her, "Before this you felt uncertain, betrayed by your lot in life, stricken by unhappiness and dread."_

_Orion rocked back on his heels, her words striking deep within him._

"_You will guard Eleanor's body, as together you shall bring honour to your fallen house."_

_Orion turned to look into the depths of the Veil, letting the Crone__'s words settle into him. If this was to be his role from now on, so be it. He wouldn't allow the House of Black to fall again._

_He took a deep breath and walked forwards into the Veil._

_As Orion flickered out of their View, the second wizard moved past his nephews to take his place. The dying sun glinted off the blond that streaked through his dark curls, and squeezed his hands into fists at his side. He__'d heard what the Goddess had said to Orion, and he wondered what he was going to be charged with._

"_Cygnus Pollux Black," The Mother greeted him, "In the last years of your life, you were left bereft of close family, trapped without love, witnessing the beginning of the destruction of your house."_

_Cygnus nodded at her words, swallowing the tightness that overcame his throat at her words._

"_You will guard Eleanor's soul, as together you shall bring joy to your fallen house."_

_Cygnus took a deep breath, Eleanor__'s face flashing in his mind's eye, and he decided to pledge himself to this woman, wherever they might find her. He stepped forwards into the Veil, his heart hopeful for a life where he wouldn't be so alone anymore._

_The third man moved past his brother to go and stand by the Goddess, his brother clapping him on the shoulders as he passed him by._

"_Regulus Arcturus Black," The Maiden spoke to him gently with a small smile, "Your actions led your heart becoming true, after years of fear and despair, and experiencing true agony in your death." _

_Regulus ducked his head, memories of his life flashing in his mind. He shuddered at the thought but chose to focus on the Maiden__'s next words._

"_You will guard Eleanor's dreams, as together you shall bring happiness to your fallen house."_

_Regulus was stunned for a moment. Might he yet get the kind of life he__'d always wanted? Would he really be able to have a chance at being happy? He decided to embrace the Maiden's words. The Goddess had to be right._

_And with a final glance back at his brother, he moved forwards through the Veil, to meet his father and uncle._

_The fourth man ambled towards the Veil, clasping his hands behind his back. Unlike the time of his death, he was ready to go through the Veil once again._

_The Crone eyed him with a gaze that told him she could see every bad move he__'d ever made and he held his head high, ready to hear what she had to say._

"_Sirius Arcturus Black," She began, still looking at him inquisitively, "Despite the age you lived to, you missed out on life. You faced untold loss, grief and witnessed so much violence against yourself and others."_

_Sirius turned away from her, looking towards the Veil. His life had been full of regrets, and he quickly resolved to dedicate himself to ensuring that he didn__'t repeat old patterns he'd fallen into in the past. He would be a better man._

"_You will guard Eleanor's heart, as together you will bring love to your fallen House."_

_Sirius almost snorted at this; it was almost laughable to imagine the House of Black to contain love that wasn__'t twisted and warped by tradition. But then he remembered the girl who's face was the first thing he saw upon entering this very glade. Her wide blue-green eyes. Her dark brown hair held away from her face in a braid. Her tentative smile towards the four men as she'd vanished from view._

_Thinking of her face had him believing the Crone__'s words._

_And with Eleanor__'s face fixed in his mind, he stepped forwards through the Veil, and accepted whatever Fate had in store for him._

_ x - x - x_

The first thing Sirius could see was complete darkness. But before he could panic, he took another step forwards and felt the Veil peel away from him. His feet found solid ground and he blinked a few times and the room before him came into focus.

He stared about, at the rough stone floor, the raised platform he now stood on, and the almost endless amount of stairs moving up away him, in a circle around the platform, leading up into the darkness.

Sirius almost staggered except Regulus was soon in front of him, taking hold of his upper arms, steadying him.

"Are you ok?" His brother asked him, and for a moment, Sirius couldn't find the words to answer him.

"Son?" Orion appeared at Regulus' shoulder, concern painting the features of his face, thrown into clarity by the flaming torches flickering in their stands at periodic intervals around the room.

"I think we all felt a bit queer moving through the Veil." Cygnus moved to Sirius side, laying a hand on his shoulder.

Sirius was already shaking his head.

"No, it's not that." He spoke, his voice firm despite him still feeling unsteady.

"Then what is it?" Regulus asked him, his brow furrowed as his he looked at his brother.

"This is where I died, Reg." Sirius said simply, and a look of understanding passed over Regulus' face.

Sirius noticed Orion turn his gaze around the room, his father looking quite ill at his words.

"That'll do that to a man." Cygnus murmured, his grip on Sirius tightening in support.

A few moments passed before Sirius reached up and patted Regulus' arms in thanks to his brother, and then the men turned to discuss what to do next.

"Does that mean you know where we are?" Cygnus asked Sirius, looking back the Veil's position in the centre of the dais they were standing on.

"We're in a room in the Department of Mysteries." Sirius answered, tucking his hands in his pockets, as he turned around slowly, taking the full extent of the chamber in.

"Really? How fascinating." Cygnus exclaimed, mirroring Sirius and looking all the way around the circular room.

"How do you suppose we find Eleanor?" Sirius asked, his mind flashing back to what the Goddess had said to him.

"She could be anywhere, really." Regulus worried, his gaze flickering towards the Veil.

Orion cleared his throat, shaking away the sick feeling in his stomach after his eldest son's admission, and focussed on what his youngest son had said instead.

"How about we start with the Aurors?" He suggested. "That is, if we can even find our way out of here."

And just as Sirius was about to point out the opening of a corridor at the top of the stairs above them, a noise behind the wizards had them all turning simultaneously.

From another corridor behind them, a wizard in dark grey robes had dropped a stack of parchment he'd been carrying, the sheafs of paper fluttering down the stairs towards them.

The man stared at the four of them for a few moments, his mouth agape. His gaze then flickered to the Veil, then back at them, and then his wand was in his hand. He drew his arm up and flourished a wide circle above his head.

An alarm started blaring and then the wizard turned his wand towards the four Black men, casting a perimeter charm around them all, trapping them in a small circle.

"I'm going to guess we'll find a way out of here now." Regulus intoned.

Sirius nodded slowly, sensing the beginning of a very long day.

_ x - x - x_

The office was chaos around them. The four men sat closely together, arranged in an office cubicle. Sirius was sprawled in the chair looking thoroughly bored with the proceedings. Regulus was leaning one elbow on the divider, his hands clasped in front of him, scanning the hustle and bustle around them. Cygnus was perched on the side of the desk, one ankle drawn up over his other knee, managing to look relaxed when the whirling inside his mind was quite the opposite. And Orion was stood in front of them all, hands gripped tightly together behind his back, casting a demanding gaze at every Auror that strayed close to them.

Ever since they'd been led in here by the Unspeakables, alarms had whirred into life. Every Auror was equally as baffled as the rest of them as they'd immediately began scanning their magical signatures, and were all stunned into silence when the results revealed exactly what had caused the alarms to sound were actually true, and not some kind of fluke.

It had never happened before that four wizards who were known to be dead suddenly walked into the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, the elder three wizards of the party looking years younger than when they had died.

And now the Black wizards were secluded to a cubicle, as the Auror's tried to form a semblance of a plan on what to do next.

A perimeter charm had been erected around them, just like in the Veil room. And now the wizards were growing antsy. They'd been trapped here for a couple hours now, and they had no idea how to begin to search for Eleanor, and even less of an idea of how to tell the Aurors how they knew about her in the first place.

"I say we demand our wands back first of all," Cygnus spoke, panic edging into his words, "Because without those we'll definitely have no chance of finding her."

"But then what do we do when we have them?" Regulus stressed, "We have no idea where to begin. We don't know if she's a witch or a muggle. We don't know where she lives. We don't even know her full name. There's got to be a thousand Eleanor's in the country."

"We go back to Grimmauld Place," decided Orion, "at least there we'll have resources for now. At least there we can make a start."

"Remember what the Mother said," spoke Sirius, startling the other three wizards, as he had been sat, deep in thought up until now.

"What exactly are you meaning?" Regulus asked, "She said quite a lot."

"She said fate would lead us to Eleanor."

They all fell silent, mulling the words over.

"Then what does that mean?" Cygnus queried, his brow furrowed as he thought.

The wizards fell back into their original stances, each thinking quite furiously. None of them liked inaction. They all could feel the waste of time pulling at them.

Just as there was a flurry of new activity over the far side of the office, drawing Regulus, Orion and Cygnus to move to the limits of the perimeter charm to try and get a better look, Sirius remained where he was.

He felt like he was so close to figuring out what to do. Almost like when you're trying to think of something you've forgotten and it's right there, balanced on the edge of your tongue.

He sighed in frustration when nothing came to him, lifting a hand to push his hair back from his face.

He cast an eye about the cubicle instead, hoping that taking his mind of it might help. Sirius smiled a little as he saw the framed photograph to his left, of an Auror with his wife and two children. The eldest child was running in out of the frame, chasing what looked like a dog, who's tail was the only thing visible of it. The Auror was laughing at his son's antics, watching him run backwards and forwards. The wife was stood, tucked under the Auror's arm, hugging their young daughter close to her, rocking the baby as she waved her arms up at her mother.

Sirius grew morose for a moment, his mind whirring to think of a similar photo he'd once been owled of Lily laughing as James chased Harry on his new toy broomstick.

He needed to find Harry as well. Find out what happened after Sirius died. Find out what path the war had taken. And he needed to find Remus as well. Remus must be going insane by himself.

Sirius sniffed his emotions away, and continued looking around the small workspace. The stray quill leaking left over ink onto the desk. The stack of folders tucked away in the paper tray to his left. The decoy detonator balanced on its point in the corner. The sheafs of parchment spilling out of drawers on the right.

Feeling calmer, Sirius looked towards his father, uncle and brother, still craning to see what the new commotion was about. And just as he was about to stand to go and join them, he felt a small tug at the edge of his consciousness. Almost like a tap on the shoulder or a whisper in his ear, he felt the need to look back at the contents of the desk again.

Confused, Sirius cast another eye over everything. The photo, the quill, the folders...the folders! With certainty in his movements, Sirius lifted the folder, feeling the sensation of being on the right track swell in his chest as he did so.

He flipped the first one over, and began to read. His eyes scanned the words hurriedly, his brows raising the more he read. Then he began to rifle through the rest of the folders, determination driving him as he began to scan each name and photograph that littered each page, until he reached the second folder in the pile. Almost at the back of the folder, his heart skipped a beat as he read the name. Then he saw the photograph and he stood up abruptly, the other folders dropping onto the desk.

His father heard the folders fall, and span on his heel to meet his son's anxious gaze. Orion's movement caught the attention of Cygnus and Regulus and they turned as well.

"I've found her." Sirius told them, holding the folder out to Orion.

"What do you mean?" Regulus asked, confusion evident across his face.

The three of them gathered around the folder and three sharp intakes of breath told Sirius they'd all clapped eyes on the photograph at the same time.

A muggle photo from the lack of movement showed a face they all recognised. Although younger than they'd seen her, it was clearly still Eleanor. She was dressed in some kind of robe, holding a scroll, smiling at the camera.

The name that headed the page _Eleanor Fraser_, followed by a location and a status stamp declaring her _Bound_, was all that was there.

"There will rise a veiled witch..." Regulus quoted the Goddess, his eyes focused on the stamp.

"And we know where she is." Cygnus beamed, pointing at the location.

Orion looked at Sirius, determination lifting his shoulders before he span to face the Auror office.

"We need the Head of the Department," Orion decided, his eyes scanning the room for an Auror who had any semblance of being in charge. "And we need him now."

* * *

**If anything in this chapter made you want to read more, please leave a review! As always I welcome any constructive criticism, anything that can help me improve. And I****'m a message away if you have any questions at all!**

**See you all next time :) **

**Love, Rachel x**


	3. Chapter 3 - Magic

**Author's Note**

**Here is Chapter 3!**

**I hope everybody reading this is doing okay given all this crazy pandemic stuff going on right now. I'm sending you all of the best wishes, and hopes that everyone can pull together and get through this, hopefully sooner rather than later!**

**Times like these can be so overwhelming, so please just take a second and breath and remind yourself that you're not alone, everyone is in the same boat right now of uncertainty, anxiety and fear of not knowing what will happen next.**

**But I wanted to get this chapter redrafted and posted to hopefully bring you all even a few minutes of distraction. **

**Please review with absolutely anything, I welcome constructive criticism!**

**I'm a message away if anybody needs to chat :) **

**Happy reading!**

**UPDATE!**

**I've updated a small part of this chapter after seeing a review left by the lovely Paulaa90. She's read and reviewed every chapter so far, and she pointed out how she was confused about a small part. Which made me realise there was a plot hole, completely my mistake! I'd like to thank Paulaa90 for leaving this review which helped me fix a part of my story I'd missed out!**

**I fell victim to the author trap of knowing what you want to happen, having it in the back of your mind, and skipping over the fact you hadn't written a part in when it came to re-reading it before I published it. And although it was only a small detail, it was definitely important enough for me to go back and add it in. **

**To anyone who has already read this chapter please go back to the scene with Kingsley in the office nearer to the end of this chapter, you'll find a small part added in, just over a hundred words or so. Please see Paulaa90's review as to what she was confused about, and hopefully this will clear that up! I'll put a small explanation in the end note too, in case you can't find it or are confused as to what I've changed and added.**

**I'll also add a note to the next chapter to highlight that I updated this one, so everyone can be caught up when they continue on!**

**But this also just shows how important it is for people to leave reviews! I'm always open to constructive criticism, and I read every review you leave for me! Even if its just a short one telling me you enjoyed it, or something you'd like to happen in the future. We all love Harry Potter and the characters and stories that can spin off it. I value everyone's input! It helps me improve as a writer as well :)**

**Anyway, hope it all makes sense to you! **

**Happy reading!**

* * *

Chapter 3 - Magic

"I don't like this." Regulus snapped, his foot tapping the ground incessantly.

"Neither do I. Why did they lock us in here?" Cygnus demanded of Orion, fury etched across his features.

From his spot by the window, Sirius examined his father closely. To anyone else, Orion Black might look composed, calm, collected. But to his eldest son, it was obvious that Orion was seething. As if anger and frustration had taken root within him, prowling underneath his very skin.

"I don't know, but I will find out. They will answer to this." Orion said firmly, his hands in fists at his sides.

"And what does this mean?" Regulus asked, waving an arm towards the room on the other side of the window. All four wizards had noted the table and chair in the interrogation room as soon as they'd heard the door click shut behind them.

"Nothing good, Reg." Sirius said, joining his brother to stand in front of the glass.

"They better-"

Whatever Cygnus had began to say, his words abruptly stopped as the door in the adjoining room opened, and Eleanor was lead in.

Orion scowled deeply as he watched her be seated in the chair, far rougher than he liked. He noted the wizard's face as he pulled Eleanor's bag from her shoulders; he wouldn't forget him in a hurry.

His musings on the beginnings of revenge were thrown aside at the sharp intake of breath from all three wizards in his company. He focused on Eleanor and how the wizard had brandished his wand towards her before shutting her in the room.

He watched as awareness flared in Eleanor's eyes as she began to breath faster, her panicked gaze darting around the room.

"They took her sight?" Cygnus cried incredulously.

"And her hearing." Sirius decided as he noticed her jump at the sound of the door locking behind her.

Regulus swung round to look at his father.

"We need to do something."

"Don't worry son, we will." Orion told him, the strange calm settling in his tone that made Regulus realise Orion was going to seek the kind of revenge that lived up to the dubious view the rest of the wizarding world had upon the House of Black.

Regulus turned back to look at Eleanor once again, feeling panic swell in the pit of his stomach at the sight of her pale, tear-stricken face, and ragged breathing as she examined her place of capture. He cast a wish out into the universe that she would find peace; the last thing he wanted was for her to be distressed upon their first meeting in this realm.

And to his shock, he saw her take a breath, her breathing slowing back down, her hands lying flat on the table in front of her.

Then she jumped again, as the door was unlocked, two men entering.

Sirius swallowed his rage as he recognised Kingsley. He would be having a word with him once they'd helped Eleanor.

The Black wizards watched in tense, furious silence as the two men questioned her. They saw her try valiantly to remain brave, but then fail. They heard her incredulity at the sight of the photographs of themselves, and then the wizards stirred as she leapt from her chair, and try to break herself out.

And then they themselves were stunned for a moment as she managed to wrench the door open, despite it being locked. And they all felt a surge of pride as she darted out into the corridor to make her escape.

Then all four wizards were leaping for their own door; she needed their help.

Cygnus brought up the rear of Sirius and Regulus, who simultaneously collided with the door in their haste to try to break through it. He reached out to try to help them, but they all drew back in shock at Orion's voice ringing out.

"Boys!" He shouted, gesturing for them to move out of his way.

And with an unknown amount of focus, he drew up his long-since dormant magic, and yanked it under his command, the lock of the door snapping under the surge of power emanating from his outstretched hand.

Orion Black marched out into the corridor, the door straining its hinges as the handle smacked into the wall. His quick glance to the left had him spy Eleanor's dark braid whip around the curved corridor.

"Wait!" He called out, his voice clashing with Regulus doing the same.

Orion swept away from the interrogation room, hearing Sirius, Regulus and Cygnus apprehend the Auror's intent on following them. In the back of his mind he heard one of his family push an Auror up against the wall in an attempt to stop them; his first guess was on Sirius.

And then he was catching up with her, noticing the slight limp in her left leg. He frowned, wondering if the Auror's sent to fetch her had hurt her in some way.

But then he was right behind her; he reached out and seized her arm, seeing that as the only way her could stop her from running. He quickly grabbed hold of her other arm to stop her from falling flat on her face.

He tightened his grip as she threw all her weight forwards, so instead he swung her round to face him.

Her panicked green eyes widened even further as she took in his features.

"Orion." She breathed, her own hands grasping his forearms for balance.

"Eleanor." He greeted her, content that he'd caught up with her. He was here with her now, he could start to make this right.

They stared at each other for a few moments, both of them stunned.

"I'm sorry things happened this way," Orion told her, "They shouldn't have done this to you."

"You did this?" Eleanor cried out mistakenly, managing to yank her arms from his grip.

"No." He stated firmly, holding both hands up to her. "We didn't get to choose, we thought they were just going to bring you to us."

"We?" Eleanor asked weakly.

And then Sirius, Regulus and Cygnus were coming up behind him. Upon catching sight of their faces, Eleanor paled further, reaching out to the wall beside her for support as her knees started to shake.

"Eleanor-" Cygnus started, reaching a hand out towards her.

"No, I'm fine." She insisted, however the dull sheen passing over her face telling them quite the opposite.

"Please, if you'll come with us, we can fix this." Sirius told her softly.

"Not back to that room." Eleanor shot out quickly, her knuckles turning stark white against the wall beside her.

"No, never." Regulus spoke, in shock at the thought that she believed this abrupt introduction was their doing.

Eleanor fixed him with a compelling gaze, her eyes narrowing. And as if she saw something in the depths of them, she nodded briefly.

"Ok," She spoke, drawing herself up away from the wall, "What way do we go from here?"

"This way." Cygnus smiled at her, gesturing back up the corridor, towards the way she'd just ran from.

Eleanor pursed her lips, looking at them all in turn. And is if the sight of their anxious-looking faces appeased any doubts that remained, she set off, leaving them to catch up with her to show her the way.

x - x - x

Eleanor had never felt so bewildered in all her life. She'd just been led into what looked like a cozy office in a building that she had no clue what it was, what it was for, and where in the world it was located. And she'd been brought to this office by four men she knew only from a dream.

The one who had caught up with her, Orion, she remembered. He ushered the other men into the room behind her, then after a few muffled words to the crowd now gathering around the threshold, he closed the door firmly behind himself, not before casting a vicious glare to the bustling men in strange clothes outside.

"Do you want to sit down?" The man who looked to be the second eldest of the group asked her, a kind smile on his face.

She stared around the room blankly before spotting a chair beside an overflowing bookshelf. It was laden with papers and folders, and she nodded. The burning in her leg was now at a distinctly uncomfortable level, and the deep ache was beginning to set in. She had to sit down, she didn't have a choice.

Eleanor was startled as she went to bend to pick up the pile of papers, only to have the youngest of the group jump in front of her to get to it first.

"Here, let me move these." He assured her, smiling shyly at her as he hefted the pile into his arms.

"Thanks." She decided to say, her voice sounding small in the presence of the four men who towered over her.

Eleanor sat down heavily, compressing the desire to sigh in relief as the weight lifted from her leg and ankle, but instead she folded her hands in her lap, and looked straight at Orion.

"Where am I?" She demanded.

To his credit, he didn't look startled at her question. It was as if he knew full well what kind of questions she'd be asking.

"You're in the Ministry of Magic." He answered succinctly, just as the youngest man dumped the pile of papers onto the desk at the back of the office.

"I'm sorry, did you just say magic?" She queried, taken aback. Was he really going to try and trick her?

"Yes he did." This time it was the slightly older man, older than the youngest anyway. He was looking at her intently as he perched on the edge of the desk.

For a brief moment, Eleanor became side tracked.

"What are your names?" She asked, looking at them all curiously, but focusing on the man who had spoken last.

"I'm Sirius." He greeted, crossing one foot over his ankle, crossing his arms as he settled against the desk.

Then she looked to the youngest of the group, the one who'd moved the papers out of the way for her.

"I'm Regulus." He told her, tucking his hair behind his ears, after securing the precarious pile of papers onto the desk, joining Sirius in leaning against the edge of it.

"And I'm Cygnus." The final unnamed man informed her, from his place just in front of her, his hands clasped behind his back.

Eleanor nodded, taking in their names, before looking back at Orion.

"What do you mean by magic?" She demanded.

Orion swapped glances with the rest of them, before moving away from the door to stand closer to Cygnus.

"I mean, everything in this building is under the roof of the Ministry of Magic. Remember what the Goddess said?" He began, brushing a hand over the cuff of his black, velvet-looking jacket.

Eleanor pushed aside the very strange feeling at the thought that they'd all really been in her dream with her, and remembered it just as she had, and decided to believe him for the moment, and to at least let him speak.

"Which part?"

"The part about our worlds needing a union." Orion pressed on.

Eleanor picked up on the stress he placed on the word 'worlds', and narrowed her eyes.

"Your world is a world without magic," He continued, "Our world is the magical world, that has been hidden from muggles, people who aren't of magical blood, for centuries now."

Eleanor almost laughed at the thought, but the sudden burst of hilarity was quickly replaced with indignation, as her thoughts caught up with her.

"Wait, how did you find out that I practice magick? Have you been spying on me? Are you trying to play a trick on me?"

And suddenly, even the seemingly composed Orion was looking taken aback at her rapid fire questions. She saw in his dark eyes that he could see the tension in her shoulders, and the frantic defensiveness in her eyes.

"What? No, of course not!" He rejected the mere thought of it, just as Regulus and Sirius joined in, their voices overlapping as they cried out their questions.

"You practice magic?!"

"You already know you're a witch?!"

She turned her gaze towards them, both of them now standing beside the desk, having surged up away from leaning against it in their shock.

"Of course I do, I've been practising since I was 22."

"Boys, I don't think she means it in the way you're both thinking she is." Cygnus chimed in, gazing at her curiously.

"Do you follow wicca? Or paganism?" He asked her, a small smile playing at his lips.

"A mix of the two. I'm spiritual, not religious. I'm more of an eclectic witch than anything else, although I'm not a big fan of labels." She told him freely, appreciative of being spoken to sensibly for the first time all day.

"So you don't know about our magic then?" Sirius confirmed, Regulus leaning forwards at his side, awaiting her answer.

"Er, no? I don't think I do." She replied, feeling confused as she saw the sincerity in their eyes, and she realised that their questions were genuine.

Eleanor looked back at Orion, who looked as if he was beginning to understand as well, as well as Cygnus. who was still smiling at her.

"Can you please explain what the hell is going on?" She demanded. "Before I go insane."

x - x - x

Sirius kept close to Eleanor's side as they moved through the hallways of the Ministry. She didn't object to his closeness, as she still looked fairly jittery, staring around at all the robed witches and wizards, and the odd flare of magic here and there.

She'd taken the news quite well. Sirius suspected she wouldn't have if she didn't already believe in magic. Although their type of magic turned out to be quite different to what she was used to, she'd still taken it in her stride. There had been no shadow of doubt in her eyes as they'd given her as brief an overview of their world as they could manage.

Midway through them all chipping together, trying to give her an accurate view of their world, Kingsley had knocked and entered the small office.

Eleanor had immediately wrapped her arms around her body, shrinking back into her chair at the sight of the man who had led her interrogation. Sirius had hastened to her side and placed a supportive hand on her shoulder. Regulus hovered behind him, while Cygnus and Orion rapidly arranged themselves in front of her, making it clear to Kingsley that he wasn't getting anywhere near her. Cygnus only moved when he noticed Kingsley was carrying Eleanor's bag that had been left behind in the interrogation room. Cygnus took it from Kingsley, and turned to give it to Eleanor, who gave him a small, grateful smile in return as she set it at her feet.

"Can you explain to me Kingsley, how exactly it came to be that we were locked in a room after you yourself, the Minister for Magic, authenticated our identities?" Orion asked sharply.

"And why this woman was interrogated and treated like a criminal when we asked for her to be brought here, and you agreed since you already knew exactly who she was and knew she posed no threat?" Cygnus added, standing shoulder to shoulder with Orion as they stared Kingsley down.

Kingsley immediately held up his hands, Eleanor seeing the apologetic look wash over his face as he caught her gaze as she peered around Cygnus. She saw he carried a folder in one hand, and her mind caught up with itself, realising what Cygnus said.

"Wait, you knew who I was? How?"

At that Cygnus and Orion span round to face her, looking as quilty as Kingsley did for a moment, before Kingsley edged to the side of them, holding the folder out to her. Then he proceeded to tell her what had happened to her in the past.

As a muggleborn witch, prior to beginning Hogwarts, or even knowing about it at all, she had been a target of a certain Dolores Umbridge, during the height of the Wizarding War. Her and her Muggleborn Registration Committee had claimed a top secret mission away from the public eye, in tracking down and neutralising Muggleborns entirely. She had gathered the list of muggleborns using the Hogwarts Book of Admittance, that which Severus Snape had granted her access to upon his appointment of Headmaster. Taking their list, Umbridge and her small team had systematically Bound the magic of young muggleborns across the entire United Kingdom, to prevent them from entering the Wizarding World all together.

But this had only begun in late 1997, so the pool of Bound witches and wizards were not as big as it could have been. With this project cut off by the end of the War, the discovery of it had only been made a few months prior to the Black Wizards returning from the dead.

Sirius had been reeling from the mention of the part Severus Snape had held in the later years of the War, but had quickly noticed Eleanor looking rather sick at Kingsley's words.

"When was I Bound?" She had asked him, her voice quavering slightly.

"When you were only two years old, miss." Kingsley explained softly.

"How did it take so long to find out about this atrocity?" Cygnus had asked, frowning as he glanced back at Eleanor. She had accepted Kingsley's word but looked deep in thought. She did however look up as Kingsley continued.

"As you can imagine, Umbridge kept this under very close wraps. The files Sirius found are the only ones there were. Her magic tied into her job here forced her to keep them on-site, but it didn't stop her placing Notice-Me-Not charms on them and burying them in the back of the Archives. We only found them earlier this year when we got round to doing a complete overhaul of our files. The Notice-Me-Not charm had began to degrade, just enough for the files to be found this time."

"And why didn't you bring all of the Muggleborn's in as soon as you found the files?" Regulus demanded, crossing his arms as he stood next to Sirius.

At this Kingsley had looked reluctant to admit what he had to say. But he did and it had taken every ounce of strength in the Black wizards not to grow angry as they listened.

It had simply been a lack of budget and a lack of staff that had prevented them from seeking out these Witches and Wizards before now. The fate of the lost members of wizarding society had been abandoned to sit in folders on the desk of an Auror, precisely where Sirius had found them a mere couple of hours ago, nobody had known quite where to start.

Kingsley explained that after the War, there had been a sharp decline in people wanting to become Aurors. The War had scarred a lot of people, so looking to run head long into danger on a daily basis hadn't been a strong selling point for the department's recruitment attempts.

After a few moments, the Black wizards had at least understood it would have been a complex task to bring so many people of a great variety of ages into the Wizarding World. And quite a taxing part on the Aurors who could have been involved, to knowingly turn unsuspecting people's lives completely upside down with such a revelation.

Eleanor had been nodding to everyone agreeing on this but had remained quiet, only speaking up again when Orion decided for them all that they needed a trip to Gringott's to visit their vaults, and to retrieve their wands, before they did anything else.

She wanted to go with them, to see some more of the world she had been thrust into. She needed time to think about everything she had just been told.

And so Sirius had stuck by her side, and was drawing her to a halt when they reached the Portkey station.

Eleanor looked at Sirius, confused.

"We're going to be using a Portkey to get to Gringott's." He told her, seeing her turn to watch curiously as the wizard manning the station spoke to Orion.

"What is a Portkey, and what is Gringott's?" She asked, her eyes tracking the wizard as he turned to the shelf behind him that was full of a random assortment of objects.

"Gringott's is our bank. And a Portkey is how you got here in the first place." Sirius was going to explain more but he saw Eleanor's face fade of it's colour she'd barely just regained back.

"Are you ok?" Regulus stepped close to her other side, touching her elbow in concern.

She was still watching the wizard, her eyes widening as she saw him take out his wand and tap it onto a rolled up newspaper. As the paper glowed golden she spoke up.

"I got sick using that, plus I couldn't see or hear so I had no idea what was going on." She admitted to them, hefting her back more securely onto her back.

She caught the look of fury pass over Orion's face as he turned back towards them holding the rolled up paper.

"Well that won't be happening again, I can assure you."

And even though Eleanor already knew that, the steady timbre of Orion's voice, and the way his eyes sparked with the fury he was desperately trying to reign in, she felt safe. And she realised that all of these men made her feel that way.

Sirius at one side of her, and Regulus at her other. Orion stood in front of her next to Cygnus. She didn't used to like people focusing on her, but having them all constantly watching her every move, yes of course she felt self-conscious, but she felt safe. And Eleanor realised it was the same feeling she'd felt in the presence of the Goddess in the dream they'd all shared.

And Eleanor knew in that moment that the Goddess was with her, guiding her as always. And being looked out for by these men, this was the way she was supposed to go next. They wouldn't steer her wrong.

So with resolve hardened in her soul, Eleanor reached out and touched the newspaper, as did the four Black wizards, and all five of them surrendered themselves to the rush of Portkey travel, and to the beginning of a new chapter of their lives that at this time, they had no clue how profound it would be.

* * *

**If reading this chapter makes you want to read on, please follow this story so you can get notified when I post a new chapter!**

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**Please all stay safe, stay home during all this madness, and we will all come out the other side. We just have to stay strong and keep on going.**

**Love, Rachel x**

**PS If you can't find the part I added in, look after Kingsley enters the office. Originally I had him just tell Eleanor about her past. But I added in Orion and Cygnus asking those questions, to clear up something I'd missed out about how the Ministry were happy to let them all leave. They know who they are, and they know who Eleanor is as well. Many thanks to Paulaa90 again who pointed this out to me in a review!**


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